The World is an Imperfect Place
by Cinderwing
Summary: Sandy's view on telling Soda that's she's pregnant, and has to move to Florida. ONE-SHOT


**Well, this is my first story, so I'm fairly new in this area. :P HELPFUL Critiques will be accepted. c: And yes, I know this whole Soda/Sandy thing has been used a lot. But I dunno, I felt like writing about the two of 'em. c:**  
**Enjoyyy :D Happy Easter btw! :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders, Sandy or Soda. They all belong to S.E Hinton. (Sadly!)**

* * *

Sandy took a deep breath, staring at the Curtis house ahead of her. Her china-blue eyes were red and puffy, as tears welled up in them. She didn't want to tell Soda the news, she knew he wouldn't like it, but neither did she.

_Stupid, stupid Sandy._ She thought, closing her eyes. _You knew the consequences. You knew. But you did it anyways. What is wrong with you?_

A tear streaked down her pale cheek, she'd have to tell him eventually, so why not now?  
_What if he hates me? Oh, of course he will! You turned around and stabbed him in the back! For another guy!_ She scolded herself silently.

She took another deep breath, building up the strength to take a step forward. Each step she took was a step full of remorse. She stared at her feet as she walked, her blonde curls bouncing and dancing as the wind blew quietly.

Before she knew it she was at the Curtises front door. She raised her hand to knock on the door, holding back a sob. She dropped her hand back to her side, shaking her head. _I can't do it..._ She didn't want to see the heartbroken expression on his face. She_ couldn't_.

_I'll tell him later..._ She turned around to leave, but something stopped her. A voice she came to know and love. "Sandy?" The voice was threaded with surprise. _Soda..._ Her heart skipped a beat as she heard him call her name, another sob threatening to come.

"Sandy? What's wrong?" She heard the door close, and footsteps inch towards her. Before she could move, he laid his hand on her shoulder. "Why're you cryin' babe?" He asked, worriedly, noticing her tear-stained cheeks.

The thought of what she _had_ to say next broke her already fragile heart. Turning around to meet her love's twinkling chocolate eyes, another tear escaped her eye. "Soda..." Her voice cracked, stifling a sob. "I need to talk to you..."

He furrowed his brow, confused. "What? What is it?" His voice was soft, and comforting. It soothed her for a short time. Exhaling slowly, she looked him in the eye. "I'm pregnant, Soda."

She searched his face for any emotion, but all there was was shock."Pregnant? Golly Sandy..." His eyes twinkled, and he smiled, thinking it was his.

Sandy quickly shook her head, taking a step back as he was going to give her a hug. "No, no, no. Soda... The thing is..." A sob escaped from her throat, as she shut her eyes closed. "The kid... it's not yours." Her voice was shaky, and she didn't sound like her usual self.

She opened her eyes, but looked away, unable to see his expression. He stood there, mouth agape, speechless. He didn't look angry, which made her confused, but then again, Soda was hardly ever angry.

"That's okay..." He broke the silence, "I'll still help you take care of it." Taking a step forward, he took her hands. "I love you Sandy, I really do."

Quickly shaking her head, she pulled her hands away. "No Soda. No." She regained her posture, standing straight, her voice soft, but meaningful. "I'm leavin'. I'm movin' to Florida to live with my grandmother in a matter of days."

_You have to make sure that he won't follow you, whatever it takes._ A voice rang loudly in her head. "But Sandy-" He protested, but she interrupted him. "I don't love you Soda. I never did. And I'm not sorry for what I did."

The twinkle, the life, faded in his eyes as he watched her break the news to him. The only person he truly loved was leaving him. He already had it bad enough, with his parents dead, his little brother missing, and now this? He couldn't take it. Why him? What did he ever do to deserve this? He loved the world, but why did the world have to hate him?

Tears welled up in his eyes, as he was frozen to the spot. He thought Sandy loved him... at least that's what she told him. Why would she lie to him? What did he ever do to her?

"Goodbye Soda." Her quiet voice rang in the silence. She turned around, and left. Just left. Soda stood, watching her leave, tears streaming down his cheeks. Her footsteps echoed as she walked away, not daring to look back. She wanted to look back, to see him one more time... but not like this.

She knew what she did was wrong. And she did regret it, she regretted it so much. Those words still echoed in her head, _You have to make sure he doesn t follow you, whatever it takes._ She remembered her conversation with her mother the previous day.

**-Flashback-**

_Sandy nervously shuffled her feet as she stood in front of her mother. "You're _pregnant_?" Her voice rang in disbelief, and disappointment. "Yes ma'am." Sandy managed to choke out under her mother's disapproving stare._

_"Is it that Soda kid's? So help me Sandra..." She knew her mother disliked Soda, since he was a greaser. She wouldn't even let her marry him! "...No ma'am." She shook her head, her voice quiet. Her mother'__s eyes narrowed,"You know what has to happen now. You're gonna go live with your grandmother in Florida."_

_Sandy snapped her head up, fear in her eyes. "No ma! No! I can't go there... I don't want to leave Soda!" She cried, stubbornly._

_"You oughta. You oughta leave him too, it's not even his child!" She scolded, icily. The words stung, they stung deep. She loved Soda dearly, but to leave him? Oh no... She couldn't!_

_"No!" She snapped, knowing that would get her deeper in trouble. "I won't leave him! H-he can help me raise the child! He would do it too... he would!" Her mother glared daggers at her, "Sandra. You know what happens when you're not married and pregnant! You get sent off! And that's where I'm sending you. To Florida."_

_A burning hatred grew in her chest for her mother. "You were the one who wouldn't let me marry him, ma! If you would have said yes I would be married to him now! Things would be okay!" She raised her voice, which she rarely did._

_"Don'__t you use that tone with me, miss! And I won't let you get married at sixteen! Hell, you shouldn't even be pregnant at sixteen!"_

_She broke down, dropping to her knees, and started to sob. Tears flowed down her cheeks, as she ignored her mother's constant nagging. She was going to Florida and she was leaving Soda for good, that was it. She couldn't__ persuade her mother to think differently even if she tried._

_Sighing, and wiping away the tears that still fell down, she looked up at her angry mother. Her face was red from yelling and she was still glaring at her. "Okay ma... but what do I say to him? What do I do?" She asked, pleadingly._

_"You go talk to him. Tell him you're pregnant and you're leaving. You have to make sure he doesn't follow you _whatever_ it takes."_

**-End Flashback-**

* * *

It was a sunny day in Jacksonville, Florida, the birds were singing, the trees danced against the wind, and kids screamed and played all around in the neighborhood. Sandy sighed, she was about two months pregnant, and within a week her Grandmother would drive her over to a 'Unwed Mother's Home' as she called it. But to Sandy, it was probably like prison for pregnant women.

She was sitting outside on the porch, watching nothing in particular, and enjoying the nice breeze while she could. The mailman came around and put some envelopes into the mailbox before leaving. Sighing, she stood up and walked over to the mailbox, curious on what they got this time, probably more bills.

Opening the front, she reached in and grabbed the envelopes, and started looking through them. _Bill. Bill. Bill. Bill._ Her heart stopped as she read the first two words on the last one. _Sodapop Curtis._ She covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped.

She was hoping that Soda would soon forget about her, but knowing Soda he could do no such thing. It wouldn't hurt to open it and look inside it... would it? _It probably would._ She reminded herself, but letting curiosity consume her she opened the envelope.

She walked back over to the porch and sat down on the steps before reading it. She laid the bills down on the ground beside her. Her eyes flickered back to the letter as she read it.

_Sandy-_

_I know you'll probably not read this or even write back. But there's still a small chance you will. I just want to say that I love you. I thought you loved me back, I honestly did. I thought we'd be together forever, y'know? Even if we couldn't get married then, I'd wait for you, you knew that. And I don't care if that kid ain't mine, I'd still help you take care of it like it was my own, but only if you gave me the chance._

_But then you just left. Left me in the dust. I really depended on you then, Sandy. Ponyboy, y'know my kid brother, he went missing. I thought we'd never find him again, I honestly did. I thought you'd be there to support me, instead you came and crushed me. Johnny died soon afterwards from severe burns and a broken back, and Dally, well he died by getting shot by the fuzz. I don't know why I'm telling you about them, you probably don't care. But I lost both three people close to me and you in the same week, I couldn't deal with it._

_How come you'd tell me everything that was goin' on if you didn't truly love me? Or did you make all that up just to make me pity you? Well if you did, it worked. And I thought you had it tough; I was wrong. It was probably just a little game of yours. To mess with me like that. Well you won. You won your pathetic little game. I hope you're happy._

_Or was this a different game you were playing? And I was your playing piece? Did you just want to show off because you were dating that 'handsome' guy from the DX? You know, thinking back of what we could have had makes me sick. I would still be led on loving you like a puppy. Thinking that you loved me when you really didn't. Maybe you leaving was a good thing. I'm still not sure. But after you left I was shattered into a million pieces, for days. Most of the time I wouldn't even leave the house, or even my bed. I was lovesick, that's what was wrong._

_Then I realized I was being stupid. I didn't need you anymore. I could get any girl I wanted, any of 'em can replace you. Anyone of 'em could love me better than you did. But here I stayed, waiting, and hoping you'd come back. I stayed like that for weeks, Sandy, wanting you to come back. To have you by my side again. What a fool I was. If I said I was over you, that would be a lie. If I said that I hated you, that would be a lie. If I said I didn't miss you, that would be a lie. If I said I'm not here hoping you'd still come back to me, that would be a lie too. Truth is Sandy, I love you and I always will._

_By the way, how is the weather down there in Florida? I bet it's treating you better than you ever treated me._

_Sodapop Curtis_

She shakily put the letter down, tears leaking out of her eyes uncontrollably. After reading that letter, she just then realized how much she really hurt Sodapop Curtis. She decided not to reply for that would only inflict more pain among herself and Soda. But either way, it would hurt both of them emotionally.

Sandy stuffed the letter back into the envelope and sealed it tight. She stood right back up and stepped over to the mailbox, placing the letter back inside. "You don t know how much I love you, Soda..." She whispered, closing the mailbox and walking back to the porch.

Leaning down, she grabbed the bills and marched back inside the house.

* * *

Soda sat at the dinner table, looking through the mail. His jaw clenched as he noticed the same letter he had sent to Sandy just weeks ago, returned, opened, but returned. There was no sign of a response anywhere on the letter. He sighed, staying quiet, as he scanned through the letter he had written her.

Darry and Pony had gotten into another fuss that night, which didn't surprise Soda. They were going at it ever since Johnny killed that Soc. Soda couldn't stand the two fight though. Sometimes he ignored them, sometimes he broke them up himself. This was the one of the fights he decided to ignore.

He was too upset to break it up, he was too upset to actually eat. He lost a lot of motivation ever since Sandy left him, and this letter didn't help either. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't exactly block out their yelling.

This time they were arguing about Pony's school work and how he wasn't doing as good as he should have. He couldn't handle it anymore, and what Pony said after didn't help it at all.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like me just to get out. Well, it's not that easy, is it, Soda?"

Soda turned his head around, pain flickered in his eyes. He had enough. His face paled and he clenched his fists. "Don't... Oh, you guys, why can't you..." His voice cracked, and he jumped to his feet, leaving the letter on the table and raced out the door.

Tears welled up in his eyes once more, and he let them flow. _Would things be different if I never met Sandy?_ A part of him was glad he met Sandy, so he could learn from his mistakes. But he would never forget the times they had together, even if Sandy didn't love him, he couldn't forget those times. Then the other part regretted meeting her, he probably wouldn't be heartbroken right now. Then again, the world_ is_ an imperfect place.

* * *

**Woo first story, done. I'm sooo sorry if Soda is OOC. And I imagine Sandy being a sweet type of person, in a way, and doesn't really think for herself. Or whatever, haha. **


End file.
